All aboard??

On Fantasia this past March I regularly entertained in L'Etoile at a cost of $40.00 per head (which included the wine etc).

I think it all depends on the Maitre D' - no harm in asking at embarkation.

Thanks for that.

 

The only new information I can see is that someone has counted the potential excursions, decided to make the Cheers package available, and by implication not Allegrissimo, and to discount the laundry charges by 30% which makes sense on such a long cruise on a ship with no self-service laundry.

 

I wish publications would state their sources so that we can attach the appropriate amount of credence to these stories.

I am back in Oz next weekend - I will touch base soon on your questions....

Although I do not believe Allegrissimo or Cheers will be available in Oz (Southern Hemisphere countries from experience seem to really like a few drinks) but I would have expected it on the crossing though.

I was ultimately successful in getting my $300 obc for the seven day portion of my cruise, but.......

Although it was on my ticket, Napoli sent through a $0.00 on the intranet; so it wasn't until the penultimate day that Napoli responded confirming the $300 obc - not that it made a dent in my total bill :o

Which brings me to something I have said over and over again - Napoli needs to cut the apron strings and stop micro-managing; growing at the rate it is this style of management can only lead to disaster.

This has got to be one of the worst cases of Post Bliss Blues I have every encountered - I do think the fact that I met someone the second to last night that I wish I had met several days earlier has alot to do with it but in any case they say one of the best ways to deal with the dark clouds is to reminisce about the holiday - so without wasting any more time here it is:

Cruise Portion #1 Durban to Cape Town

I arrived in Cape Town two days before the cruise and stayed at the Taj Cape Town. The first day set the tone for the remainder of my vacation; after settling into my suite I met up with an old University friend for some drinks and dinner which, after looking through the pictures and a quick perusal of my bank seemed to be quite the party.

Day 2 was spent comatose :o

I awoke to excessively high winds on the Saturday; the Cape Doctor as the locals call it was howling outside and from experience the previous season I wondered if the Sinfonia would even make it into port let alone depart that evening. Fortunately everything seemed to be going well; MSC "put pedal to the metal" so to speak and she arrived in port 5 hours earlier than scheduled.

After a great breakfast (food always seems much more enjoyable sans hangover) I got my things together, confirmed with the concierge that my car was ready. It was a short drive to the port where Sinfonia and the chaos that is embarkation in Cape Town was waiting for me.

Cape Town port has no infrastructure for passenger vessels, which is quite bemusing as so many visit the city every year and with bags dropped I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to see the power of the Black Card.

The look of horror on the faces of the attendants manning the queue when I flashed my card was priceless and it was with a quick call on the radio that my wrist was grasped and I was whisked through embarkation in 5 minutes - yes within 5 minutes I was from curb to ship.

On the Lirica class vessels I always travel in a balcony suite on deck 12 and although on deck 12 you are subject to the pendulum effect when at sea this is a small consolation for the elimination of the noise that would eminate from the pool deck above deck 10.

Entrance with a bathroom on either the left or right depending on layout of the suite with a small walk in wardrobe you enter into a large open space with bed, dresser, sofa, coffee table and flat screen television. Large mirrors at the foot of the bed give a sense of openness and I personally just can't get enough of wood paneling - although the walnut from Yacht Club was missed.

The sitting area leads onto the balcony which has teak decking and two chairs and table / foot rest.

The first day was relatively uneventful save for the increasing gusts of wind that whipped through the rigging but for me at least I was on board. I went and registered myself at Reception (3x cruises = 3x bottles of Moet); and once again the look on their faces was priceless - I don't think it is so much that there was a Black Card on board, I think it was more of the fact that I am only 33 years old.

A massage and facial later I decided to take some sun at the Capri Bar where I met one of the best waiters ever encountered on board ships. Connor Cremer a South African on his first contract offered exceptional above and beyond, personalized service from day one, but more on Connor later in the thread......and no he is not the person I mentioned in my first paragraph.

My table assignment for this cruise was a large 12 seater; although only three of us showed up; but we made the best of it. An elderly lady from Yorkshire (I can't seem to get away from you guys Tim) and a Zimbabwean businessman. Service was floor less and the quality of the food a vast improvement from previous seasons with hot plates.

As the night moved on I made my way up to Pasha Night Club; the South African season because composed of short cruises which are not very port intensive tends to have a very festive party atmosphere and it was here where I met up with a group of men on a bachelors party cruise – Oi Vei!

Just disembarked; what a whirlwind of fantastic service and hangovers so just need a few days to gather thoughts and will post here shortly.

I will leave you with this - it was easily one of my top two cruises :D

I have just read your post to my mother. She is very encouraged but said what a shame you won't be with us on our next cruise.

 

Do you think the service you are enjoying is:

a) due to improved staff training across the fleet,

b) because South Africans have higher expectations, or

c) because you are infamous and on MSC's VIP list?

 

I am hoping it is a combination of a and c and that such excellence extends to the Armonia for us in March.

 

You know, instead of adding a Yacht Club to the Lirica Class, MSC could simply designate the entire vessel Yacht Club and have a line within a line. I seem to remember suggesting that before.

 

Keep the wine reports coming!

 

Tim.

I think it could be a little c but mostly a. The staff do tend walk on eggshells around me and know my entire cruise history but as a solo traveller I also sit and observe; and the improvements seem to be standard.

Ok, so after being delayed in Cape Town due to wind we have arrived in Durban!

Sitting here in Shelaghs Pub waiting while they embark over 2000 passengers thinking about the days that have passed I have nothing but a large grain on my face.

The service and entertainment on this cruise has really been raised above the bar and I believe the rest of the fleet have a lot to do to catch up. One of my biggest issues is that there is no Yacht Club on the Lirica Class (I am informed they may be adding it though :D ) however what I have experienced the past four days can only be best described as a Yacht Club experience sans butler - but I am still working on them to arrange one for me.

Timothy, please convey to Molly that the plates are now hot and so is the food but alas soup is still served with desert spoons.

I have come across so many staff and crew from Fantasia I am constantly engaged in conversation - just five minutes ago one of the waitresses from the wine bar on Fantasia asked me how the group are doing and that I must please send my regards to everyone. Remember Virgil the waiter who was so distraught when Angela returned an item of food? We'll his cousin who worked in L'etoile is also on board as assistant maître d. My surname seems to be the buzzword on board and even this morning the Hotel Manager sought me out to introduce himself proceeding to say that if I need absolutely anything I must send a message to him and he will personally take care of it.

The past four days have been a whirlwind of amazing service, friendly faces and hangovers and my liver is hoping that the next leg is a little bit more tame.

I have started at the top of the Mediteranean Reds and am in process of working myself down...the Borolo was excellent, the second wine; Chateau something I think was also very good, a lot heavier but I think with the right food may outshine the Borolo. They could not find any Amarone but I don't believe this is something to complain about as the list in general looks adequate.

We'll off to lunch and then a 14:30 sail away.......till Saturday everyone.

Sitting here in Shaleighs pub while the Cape Doctor howls outside I thought that I would get the ball rolling on this.

I am not promising a live review because, to be honest I fail miserably with them however I will undertake to try and post something every other day - so watch this space ;)

To my Armonia friends ask questions; the ships are near identical.

The Lirica class may not be done with...there is this speculation that the Lirica class ships may be stretched...

 

http://cruisepassenger.com.au/2013/11/msc-cruises-stretch-lirica-class-ships/

Oh I do hope they make decks 12 and 13 into a mini yacht club while they are at it......

During our repo cruise we were told that the indeed are building 2 new ships, one for sailing 2015 and the other 2016. the would be build in the class of the oasis of the seas

That's awful :eek:

Two MSC ships I will definitely not being putting foot on in a hurry if that is the case.

I would like to hear how you get on with the Sinfonia, the twin sister of the Armonia you abandoned us to, and also of the GoPro.

 

If video editing were not such a pain after the event, I would mostly shoot video with my camera. I will be trying the latest iMovie for Mac and iPad as soon as I get time off from cruise critics.

 

Have you declined the Allegrissimo or don't they have it on South African itineraries?

South Africans drink like Brazilians so no Allegrissimo in those waters, but the general prices are much cheaper - the Borolo is $44 only.

Well, answering even a simple quiz requires some knowledge of cruise ships. It's not easy if someone's cruising experience is limited to one and the only cruise line.

As a matter of fact; around 30% of my nights at sea have been spent on other cruise lines; 23% of those being on HAL; just saying.

Sidari, this was meant to be a Divina-free discussion.

 

I share the frustration with the domination of the forum with that one ship - all because it is in the U.S..

 

All Aboard?, I would start with MSC's own Nebbiolo d'Alba and see if it at all resembles a half-decent Barolo. You don't state prices but I imagine it is less than half the price of the Barolo.

 

Barbera was my everyday drinking wine when I lived in Turin, with Barolo reserved for the weekends. The stuff they export to the UK is not a patch on what the Italians keep for themselves so on an OTT Italian-themed ship, there is hope that both of these could be good examples.

 

Is there no Amarone della Valpolicella?

I am going to ask if they have any Amarone store away after the crossing - holding thumbs..

Go with the barbera or Nebbiolo as a start and work up to the Barolo. The Pinot noir or chateauneuf probably worth a go as well.

 

With you about to 3 in a row, do all of them! You could even mock up tasting notes on each.

 

Have a fab time on the sinfonia. Do tell us all about it as like Tim, I'm sick to death of hearing of the Divina.

I will be posting at the end of each segment as I fail miserably at live reviews - technically I am still stuck in Madeira :o

I even bought a Gopro and will try and edit a video as well; emphasis on try ;)

Below an extract of the European Selection of wines for the upcoming South African season and as I board Sinfonia on Saturday for a B2B2B cruise of 14 days in total I was looking for some input regarding their wine list.

There are South African wines on board but save for one good red blend only the whites really shine unfortunately.

Borgogno Barolo

Piemonte-Italy

Grapes: Nebbiolo

Pasquier Desvignes Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Vallée du Rhône-France

Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan

Cavazza Cabernet Cicogna US$ 32.00

Veneto-Italy

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

Pojer e Sandri Pinot Nero Vigneti

Trentino Alto Adige-Italy

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Borgogno Barbera d’Alba

Piemonte-Italy

Grapes: Barbera

Dalle Vigne Chianti Leonardo

Toscana-Italy

Grapes: Sangiovese, Merlot

Pojer e Sandri Pinot Nero Vigneti

Friuli Venezia Giulia-Italy

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

Nebbiolo d’Alba MSC Selection DOC

Piemonte-Italy

Grapes: Nebbiolo

Castello di San Vittoria Merlot

Veneto-Italy

Grapes: Merlot

There are no paid sun decks on HAL

Hmmmm, the $800 I paid for a Retreat Cabana last year must have been an accounting error then :rolleyes:

Premium public spaces on the QM2 are available for all passengers.

Queens Grill sundeck is not open to all passengers and neither is the Queens or Princess Grills.......I actually can't believe you purport on these boards that your research is flawless, however time after time I find you wanting.

Continue to present fiction as fact and you will be reported; your posts are unfair and misleading to people who are here to seek factual answers and not your delusions.

Odious "ship-within-a-ship" enclaves on lower grade ships (MSC, NCL)

Don't hate it because you cant afford it.....a quote from my late mother "if you can't afford business class don't complain because you hear the roar of the engines"

P.S. I have read your posts before posting.

Hi All

 

Can anyone recomend which YC2 cabins are the best to choose

12004 is my favorite - much bigger (I got 13 CC members in the living room for several cocktail parties) than 12002 and bathroom has bath and seperate shower vs 12002 having jet bath and shower combined...

Aida for a while have been considering opening up their market to non Germans, boy would i like to read the reviews from those cruises ... :)

Should be interesting; even Lufthansa keeps to the German palate....sausages and sauerkraut if I remember correctly to 2010.

Whilst that might be an option in the US for those posting who have not been advised, none as far as I can see are travel agents and my own experience in the UK is travel agents are even worse at updating guests than the cruiseline.

I do agree; our North American cousins get a lot more deals than us here down under :(

There is a list of complaints received by travel agents doing the rounds; one of my favorite was "the taxi drivers in Spain didn't speak English"

Have you heard about AIDA?

Isn't it "European"?

Have you heard about bad food on AIDA?

How many passengers on Aida are not German?

Perhaps the fact that there are no reviews on Cruise Critic can help - at this point I must commend you on your thorough research :rolleyes:

I have two cruises booked directly with Azamara but no email received - wonder when it will crawl into my mailbox if at all

I booked directly with Azamara and am still waiting for the confirmation let alone email notification of the changes; at least on their website I am shown as booked :rolleyes: - as a newbie I have to ask; does the left hand know what the right hand is doing or am I an isolated case?

PS: apologies for a slight hijack of the thread.

Glittergal1;

MSC Preziosa is the latest member of the MSC Fleet and so I believe the reviews are a current reflection of the MSC product in that MSC, as a very young cruise line are still in a state of "fine tuning" their product - not that in my opinion there was anything wrong with their product in the 90's and the 00's.

That being said:

85% of cruisers loved MSC Preziosa;

83% of cruisers loved Nieuw Amsterdam;

79% of cruisers loved Independence of the Seas.

I do realise that you are booked on MSC Fantasia; however save for a few differences in layout and amenities the vessels are near identical and as such, given that procedures etc are standardised across a fleet I believe that it will be beneficial to take cognisance of the Preziosa reviews as well.

I personally would also avoid any of the starboard cabins on deck 15 as this is quite a high traffic area.

As for 12002 this is your view......

And on the Fantasia the bath for 12002 is a spa bath; I will be interested to know if Divina, Splendida and Preziosa has the same...